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Paris Saint-Germain FC
Association football club in France From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain (French: [paʁi sɛ̃ʒɛʁmɛ̃]) or simply PSG, Paris or Paris SG, are a French professional football club based in Paris. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. With 54 major trophies won, PSG are the most decorated club in France and are generally considered the country's biggest club.
Founded in 1970, following the merger of Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain, PSG have the most consecutive seasons playing in France's top flight. They are the most popular football club in France and one of the most widely supported teams in the world. They are nicknamed Les Parisiens (The Parisians), and their crest features the Eiffel Tower. They are also known as Les Rouge-et-Bleu (The Red-and-Blues), due to the colour of their home shirt, which also includes white. The team has a longstanding rivalry with Marseille, against whom they contest Le Classique. PSG have continuously played their home matches in the 47,929-capacity Parc des Princes in Paris since 1974.
They won their first major honour, the Coupe de France, in 1982 and their first Ligue 1 title in 1986. The 1990s were one of the most successful periods in the club's history, notably winning their second league title in 1994 and their first European trophy, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996. After suffering a decline in fortunes during the 2000s, the club have enjoyed a revival since 2011 when they were taken over by Qatar Sports Investments. With considerable financial investment, allowing PSG to buy superstar players such as Zlatan Ibrahimović, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi, the team achieved dominance in domestic competitions, winning multiple league titles and national cups, but underperformed in the UEFA Champions League. Following a shift away from a star-centric model to a team-first approach and younger prospects, the club won its first Champions League in 2025 as part of a continental treble.
PSG have won 52 domestic trophies: a record 13 Ligue 1 titles, one Ligue 2 title, a record 16 Coupe de France, a record 9 Coupe de la Ligue, and a record 13 Trophée des Champions. Internationally, they have won the Champions League in 2025, becoming the second French club to win the title; the Cup Winners' Cup in 1996, becoming the only French team to do so; and the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001. PSG are one of two French clubs to have won a major European title and the first to win the continental treble.
Since 2011, PSG have been majority-owned by Qatari government-backed investment fund Qatar Sports Investments, which held 87.5% of the shares by 2012 while American investment firm Arctos Partners owned the remaining 12.5%. PSG are the richest club in France and one of the wealthiest in the world. In January 2025, PSG had the third-highest revenue in the footballing world with annual earnings of €806m according to Deloitte, and were the world's seventh-most valuable football club, worth $4.4bn according to Forbes.
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History
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Paris Saint-Germain were founded in 1970 following the merger of Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain. PSG made an immediate impact, winning Ligue 2 and thus achieving promotion to Ligue 1 in their first season. Their momentum was soon halted, and the club split in 1972. Paris FC remained in the top flight, while PSG were relegated to Division 3. After two consecutive promotions, PSG quickly returned to the top flight in 1974 and moved to the Parc des Princes.[1][2][3][4][5]
The club's first trophies arrived in the 1980s. Led by players such as Safet Sušić, Luis Fernandez and Dominique Rocheteau, the Parisians claimed back-to-back Coupe de France in 1982 and 1983, and their first Ligue 1 title in 1986. A steep decline followed, but the takeover by Canal+ in 1991 revitalized PSG. Led by David Ginola, George Weah and Raí, the club won nine trophies and reached five consecutive European semi-finals during the 1990s. Notably, Paris captured their second league title in 1994 and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996, with the legendary Luis Fernandez now as manager.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
At the beginning of the 21st century, the Parisians were struggling to get back to the top despite the magic of Ronaldinho and the goals of Pauleta. Five more trophies followed: three Coupe de France, a Coupe de la Ligue and a UEFA Intertoto Cup, but PSG became better known for struggling through one crisis after another. Inevitably, Canal+ sold the club to Colony Capital in 2006. However, the situation only worsened, and PSG spent the next two seasons avoiding relegation.[2][3][4][5]
The club's fortunes changed dramatically with the arrival of Qatar Sports Investments as owners in 2011. Since then, PSG have invested heavily in signings of world-class players such as Zlatan Ibrahimović, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, the latter two being the most expensive transfers in football history. As a result, PSG have dominated French football, winning 37 trophies: eleven league titles, eight Coupe de France, six Coupe de la Ligue and eleven Trophée des Champions. They have also become a regular in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, reaching the final for the first time in their history in 2020 and winning their first title in 2025.[2][5][8][9]
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Identity
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Colours and mascot
Since their foundation, Paris Saint-Germain have represented both the city of Paris and the nearby royal town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.[5] As a result, red, blue and white are the club's traditional colours.[10] The red and blue are Parisian colours, a nod to revolutionary figures Lafayette and Jean Sylvain Bailly, and the white is a symbol of French royalty and Saint-Germain-en-Laye.[10][11]
On the club's crest, the Eiffel Tower in red and the blue background represent Paris, while the fleur de lys in white is a hint to the coat of arms of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.[10][11] The fleur de lys is a royal symbol as well and recalls that French King Louis XIV was born in the town.[10] Throughout its history, PSG have brandished several crests, but all of them have featured the club's three historical colours.[12]
Likewise, PSG's most distinctive shirts have been predominantly red, blue or white, with the remaining two colours included as well.[13] The club's official mascot, Germain the Lynx, also sports PSG's traditional colours.[11] It was unveiled during the 2010 Tournoi de Paris in commemoration of the club's 40th anniversary, and can be seen entertaining kids in the stands of the Parc des Princes or near the pitch with the players during the warm-up.[14]
Anthems and mottos
"Allez Paris!", recorded by Belgian actress and singer Annie Cordy in 1971, was the club's first official anthem. A PSG fan from the very beginning, she was part of an association of hundreds of celebrities who contributed to the club's founding in 1970. At the time, an appeal was made to anonymous people to buy season tickets at newsstands. A year later, Cordy was named PSG's official godmother and recorded the aforementioned anthem.[15][16]
The club's second anthem, "Allez Paris-Saint-Germain!" by Les Parisiens, was recorded in 1977, replacing Cordy's version. It was produced and released by long-time PSG leader and music producer Charles Talar.[17][18][19] The chorus became a popular chant among PSG fans during matches.[20] A new version, with the same name, was recorded in 2010 as part of the club's 40th anniversary celebrations. Performed to the tune of "Go West" by the Village People, the lyrics were rewritten with suggestions from the fans. This is the current official anthem of the club.[18][14][11] It was premiered at the 2010 edition of the Tournoi de Paris.[14]
"Ô Ville Lumière," set to the tune of "Flower of Scotland," is another authentic club anthem for PSG fans.[21][22] This chant was created by former KoB ultra group Boulogne Boys.[23] Other notable chants include "Le Parc est à nous" ("The Parc is ours"), "Ici, c'est Paris" ("This is Paris"), and "Paris est magique" ("Paris is magical").[24][25][20] "Who Said I Would" by Phill Collins is also a traditional supporters' anthem. The song has accompanied the players' entry onto the field since 1992.[26][27]
"Ici, c'est Paris" and "Paris est magique" are also the club's most iconic mottos.[28][11][29] The former was created by former VA ultra group Supras Auteuil, who trademarked it in 2008.[25][30] PSG started using the "Ici, c'est Paris" slogan in their marketing and a legal battle ensued with the Supras. In February 2016, the group rejected the club's offer of €2,000 for the ownership rights.[25] They eventually reached an agreement in August 2019. The club would continue advertising the slogan, and fans would still be able to use it freely.[31]
Iconic shirts
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paris Saint-Germain FC kits.
For its first three seasons, Paris Saint-Germain's home shirt was red with blue and white detailing on the sleeves and collar to unify the club's three colours: the red and blue of Paris and the white of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.[13][32] During the 2010–11 season, PSG wore a red shirt for home matches to mark its 40th anniversary.[33] French fashion designer Daniel Hechter took over as president of PSG in 1973, and designed the club's traditional home kit that same year: a blue shirt with a red vertical stripe flanked by two thinner white stripes (blue-white-red-white-blue).[32][34]
First worn in the 1973–74 season, the so-called "Hechter shirt" has remained PSG's classic identity ever since.[13][35][36][37] The famous shirt was debuted against Red Star in November 1973.[38] This was also the club's first match at the Parc des Princes. PSG won 3–1 with Othniel Dossevi scoring the club's first goal in a Hechter shirt.[39] PSG stars from the 1990s and 2000s such as Raí, Ronaldinho and Pauleta are associated with this kit. In it, the club reached five consecutive European semi-finals between 1993 and 1997, lifted the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996 and achieved eight consecutive victories against arch-rivals Marseille between 2002 and 2004.[13][40]
It is generally believed that Hechter based his design on the red and white jersey of Ajax, the dominant team in Europe at the time, but with the French flag in mind.[41][32][34] Hechter himself has denied this, stating that he was inspired by the Ford Mustang. He transposed the car's hood stripes onto the jersey and used the three club colours.[32] Hechter's jersey has two alternate versions: the "Reverse Hechter" (red-white-blue-white-red), introduced in the 1974–75 season season, and the "White Hechter" (white-blue-red-blue-white), which debuted in the 1994–95 season.[32][37][42]
However, it was in the club's most distinctive away kit that fans saw PSG's first great team, who won their first Coupe de France titles in 1982 and 1983, enjoyed their first European campaign in 1983, and clinched their first Ligue 1 crown in 1986. The shirt was white with blue and red vertical stripes down the left side.[13][35] Like Hechter's shirt, it debuted in the 1973–74 season as the away kit.[32] Promoted by PSG president Francis Borelli, the white shirt was the club's home identity from 1981 to 1990.[35] Now known as the "Borelli shirt", it is synonymous with 1980s PSG legends such as Safet Sušić, Luis Fernández and Dominique Bathenay.[13][36][43]
Crest evolution
The club's first crest was basically the same as the original Paris FC (PFC) logo. Having to merge and give birth to PSG using Stade Saint-Germain's stadium, the PFC crest kept its original design but the name below it changed from "Paris FC" to "Paris Saint-Germain Football Club." This badge consisted of a blue football with a red vessel inside it. The latter is a historic symbol of Paris and is present in the city's coat of arms. The name of the club was written below in red.[44]
After parting ways with PFC in 1972, PSG needed a new crest. Representing both Paris and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the club's second crest became the basis for the one the fans know today, featuring the Eiffel Tower in red on a blue background and, below it, two Saint-Germain symbols in white: a fleur de lys and Louis XIV's cradle.[44] Created by Christian Lentretien, former PSG board member and publicist by profession, this crest was first used in 1972 and lasted until 1992.[44][45]
Canal+, the club's owner, radically modified it in 1992. The new design featured the acronym "PSG" in white on a blue-white-red-white-blue background (similar to the pattern on Hechter's shirt), with "Paris Saint-Germain" underneath, also in white on a black background. Under pressure from fans, the traditional crest returned in 1995 with "Paris Saint-Germain" above the tower and "1970" below the cradle. In 2002, it underwent a minor overhaul, most notably the addition of a darker blue.[44]
At the request of the club's Qatari owners, the traditional crest underwent a major renovation in 2013.[44] "Paris" is now written in large, bold white letters above a large Eiffel Tower, clearly representing the "Paris" branding rather than "Paris Saint-Germain". Below it, "Saint-Germain" is written in smaller letters under the fleur de lys.[46][47] The cradle and the club's year of foundation, "1970", have been omitted.[47] PSG deputy general manager Jean-Claude Blanc stated: "We are called Paris Saint-Germain but, above all, we are called Paris".[46]
Friendly tournaments
Paris Saint-Germain used to host two very famous invitational competitions: the Tournoi de Paris and the Tournoi Indoor de Paris-Bercy.[48][49] Regarded as French football's most prestigious friendly tournament, the Tournoi de Paris is considered a precursor of both the Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.[48][50] PSG began hosting it in 1975 and were crowned champions a record seven times.[48] Held at the Parc des Princes, the Tournoi de Paris was last organized in 2012.[48][51] The Tournoi Indoor de Paris-Bercy was an indoor football tournament founded by PSG in 1984 and held annually until 1991 at the AccorHotels Arena in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. Played indoors on a synthetic field and featuring seven-a-side teams, the competition featured hosts PSG and five more clubs. The Parisians lifted the trophy on two occasions, more than any other club.[49]
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Grounds
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Stadiums
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Since its inception, Paris Saint-Germain have played in five main stadiums: the Stade Jean-Bouin, the Stade Georges Lefèvre, the Stade Bauer, the Stade Yves-du-Manoir, and the Parc des Princes, their current home ground.[52][53] PSG took on Ligue 2 promotion rivals Red Star on 10 November 1973, for the club's first match at the Parc des Princes.[39][52] PSG moved into the ground upon its return to Ligue 1 in July 1974, ironically the same year that Paris FC were relegated.[54][52] Up until that point it had hosted Paris FC.[54]
From that moment on, the Parc des Princes has been the home stadium of PSG.[52] Its most prolific season in terms of average attendance was 2024–25, during which an average of 47,639 spectators went to the stadium for each match.[52][55] The attendance record for a PSG match dates back to 13 March 1983, with 49,575 spectators present in the stands of the Parc des Princes. This match pitted PSG against Belgian side Waterschei for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinals. The final score was a 2–0 victory for the Parisians.[56][57]
The club played at the Stade Jean-Bouin, concurrently with the Stade Georges Lefèvre, in 1970–71, as it attracted significantly higher levels of fan support.[52][58] The Georges Lefèvre regularly hosted PSG matches from 1972 to 1974 as well.[52] Between 1904 and 1970, it was the home of Stade Saint-Germain, club which merged with Paris FC to form PSG in 1970.[52][59] PSG played again at the Jean-Bouin in 1973–74, alternating their home games with the Georges Lefèvre and the Parc des Princes.[58] PSG played at the Stade Bauer for the first time in 1971–72.[52] It was used again by the club once in 1976–77 and 1977–78, and twice in 1978–79 due to construction work on the lawn of the Parc des Princes.[52][58] Similarly, the Stade Yves-du-Manoir welcomed PSG for three matches in 1971–72, once more in 1974–75, and one last time in 1975–76 because the Parc des Princes was under renovation.[52][58]
Training facilities
Campus PSG, located in Poissy, has been the club's training ground since 2023.[60] Owned and funded by the club, it houses the club's men's and women's football, handball, and judo teams, as well as the football and handball academies.[61][62][63] Campus PSG will feature a stadium that will complement the club's stadium, the Parc des Princes, which will be built during the second phase of the project, after 2024.[61][64] PSG's male team moved into Campus PSG on 10 July 2023.[60] They completed their first group training session there on 18 July 2023, and played their first game on 21 July 2023.[65][66] It was a friendly match against Le Havre which ended in a 2–0 victory for PSG.[66]
Camp des Loges, located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, was previously the club's training facility from July 1970 until July 2023.[67][68] Its main stadium, the Stade Georges Lefèvre, served as the home ground for the men's team between 1972 and 1974.[52] Camp des Loges also hosted the training sessions of the club's academy and women's team until 2024.[68][67][69] The men's team moved to Campus PSG in July 2023.[60] The academy and women's team followed in January 2024.[69][70]
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Statistics
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Records
Paris Saint-Germain hold numerous records, most notably being the most successful French club in history in terms of official titles, with 55.[71][72][73] They hold the record in all domestic competitions, with 13 Ligue 1 titles, 16 Coupe de France, nine Coupe de la Ligue and 13 Trophée des Champions. Their trophy haul also includes a Ligue 2 title.[73][74] Internationally, PSG have won one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and one UEFA Intertoto Cup.[73] They have also won 24 unofficial titles, including a record seven Tournoi de Paris and a record two Tournoi Indoor de Paris-Bercy.[75][76]
PSG's triumph in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup made them the only French club to win that trophy and one of just two French teams to claim a major European competition.[77][78] By winning the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League title, they became the first French club to win the continental treble and the continental quadruple.[79][80] PSG have also won the domestic quadruple on four occasions. They have completed the domestic double, the league and league cup double, the domestic cup double, the domestic treble and the league three-peat several times as well.[73]
The Parisians are the club with the most consecutive seasons in the top-flight (51 seasons in Ligue 1 since 1974–75),[81][82] and the only side to have won the Ligue 1 title while leading the table from the first to the final round (2022–23),[83] the Coupe de France without conceding a single goal (1992–93 and 2016–17),[84] five Coupe de la Ligue in a row (2014–2018),[85] four back-to-back Coupe de France (2015–2018),[86] and eight consecutive Trophée des Champions (2013–2020).[87]
Influential officials and players in the club's history include most decorated president Nasser Al-Khelaifi,[88] most decorated manager Laurent Blanc,[89] record appearance maker Marquinhos,[90] top scorer Kylian Mbappé,[91] assist maestro Ángel Di María,[92] clean sheet leader Bernard Lama,[93] most capped and longest-serving captain Thiago Silva,[94] Ballon d'Or winners George Weah and Lionel Messi,[95] and world-record transfer Neymar.[96]
Seasons
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Paris Saint-Germain have played 55 seasons, of which 52 have been played in the top division of French football, the Ligue 1. In the remaining three seasons, the club have played twice in the second division, the Ligue 2, and once in the third division, the Division 3.[58][71][97][81] In the 2024–25 season, PSG celebrated their 51st consecutive Ligue 1 campaign, making them the longest-serving club in the competition.[81][82] The club played its first competitive match on 23 August 1970, drawing 1–1 away to Poitiers in the opening matchday of Ligue 2.[71][98] PSG won the Ligue 2 title at the end of the campaign, earning promotion to the top flight.[3][5] The Parisians made their Ligue 1 debut on 11 August 1971, in a 2–0 away defeat to Angers.[81] Their momentum soon came to a halt and the club split in June 1972, with Paris FC remaining in Ligue 1 and PSG being administratively relegated to Division 3.[3][99]
After two consecutive promotions, PSG returned to Ligue 1 in the 1974–75 season and never looked back.[81][82] Since then, the club have won a record thirteen league titles, finishing first more often than in any other position. Having finished second in nine league campaigns, PSG have regained the top two places on 22 occasions. They have also reached the top five 30 times, representing more than half of the club's seasons in Ligue 1. PSG's lowest ever finish is 16th, achieved in both the 1971–72 and the 2007–08 seasons, when they escaped relegation on the final day with a 2–1 win at Sochaux.[81]
PSG enjoyed their best season to date in the 2024–25 campaign, playing a record 65 matches, becoming the first French club to win the continental treble after claiming their maiden UEFA Champions League title in addition to the league championship and Coupe de France, and averaging a record crowd of 47,639 per home league game.[100][101][55] The club also set several records during the 2015–16 season: PSG collected 96 points, their highest total in Ligue 1, while conceding just 19 goals; they won 47 matches in all competitions; and Zlatan Ibrahimović became the player with the most goals scored in a single season, netting 50 times. Other notable records across all competitions include the 28 goals conceded in the 1993–94 season and the 171 goals scored in the 2017–18 season.[100][102]
International football
Paris Saint-Germain are the most successful French club in international competitions. They have won three European titles: the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996, the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001, and the UEFA Champions League in 2025. PSG are also the only French side to have won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the first to win the continental treble.[77][78][79] They were runners-up in the 1996 UEFA Super Cup, the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.[103][104][105][106]
The Parisians made their international debut in the 1982–83 season, qualifying for the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup as Coupe de France winners.[5] Their first match was against Lokomotiv Sofia and reached the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Waterschei Thor.[107][108] PSG subsequently competed in the UEFA Europa League in the 1984–85 campaign, before taking their first steps in Europe's premier club competition, the Champions League, in the 1986–87 season.[109][110][111]
Between 1992 and 1997, the club reached five consecutive semi-finals: three in the Cup Winners' Cup, one in the Champions League, and one in the Europa League.[112][113] They won their first European trophy by defeating Rapid Wien in the 1996 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final.[77][114] This victory allowed PSG to compete in the UEFA Super Cup, where they lost to Juventus.[103] They reached a second consecutive Cup Winners' Cup final in 1997, this time losing to Barcelona.[104] PSG played in the now-defunct Intertoto Cup once. They did so in 2001, winning their second continental trophy against Brescia on away goals in the two-legged final.[115]
PSG reached their first Champions League final in 2020, losing to Bayern Munich.[9] It was their first European final since 2001.[116] They won their first Champions League title in 2025, defeating Inter Milan in the final.[117] As European champions, PSG qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.[117][118] They lost to Chelsea in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final.[119]
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Supporters
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Paris Saint-Germain are the most popular football club in France, accounting for 22% of the country's fan base.[120] With an estimated 35 million fans, PSG are also one of the most followed teams in the world.[121] The Parc des Princes has been its home ground since July 1974.[52] It has four stands: Tribune Auteuil, Tribune Paris, Tribune Borelli, and Tribune Boulogne.[122] Historically, the Auteuil and Boulogne stands, better known as the Virage Auteuil (VA) and the Kop of Boulogne (KoB), have been home to PSG's most loyal fans, the supporters' groups known as ultras, making the Parc one of the most feared venues in Europe and one of the best in terms of atmosphere.[123][124][125] Other friendlier, more family-oriented groups have regularly met in the stands of Paris and Borelli, including the club's first supporters' group, Les Amis du PSG, founded in 1975.[126][127]
Lacking a large and passionate following, the club began offering cheaper season tickets to young fans in 1976. They were housed in Kop K, located in the blue K section of the Paris stand at the Parc des Princes.[127][24] Following increased ticket prices, fans in Kop K moved to the Boulogne stand in 1978, and the Kop of Boulogne was born.[24][28][128] The club's first Italian-style ultra group, the Boulogne Boys, was founded there in 1985,[128][129][130] followed by the English-inspired kopistes Gavroches and Rangers. However, several KoB groups, such as Commando Pirate and Casual Firm, took English hooligans as dubious role models, and violence quickly escalated.[126][131]
In response, the club's owners, Canal+, encouraged non-violent KoB fans to gather at the other end of the stadium, giving rise to the Virage Auteuil in 1991, spearheaded by the ultra groups Supras Auteuil, Lutece Falco and Tigris Mystic.[126][28][132] The measure worked at first, but a violent, racially motivated rivalry slowly emerged between the two stands.[28][132][133] The situation came to a head in 2010 before a match against Marseille. Boulogne fan Yann Lorence was killed following a brawl between groups from both stands outside the Parc, forcing PSG president Robin Leproux to take action.[28][134] In what became known as the Plan Leproux, the club exiled all groups from the Parc and also banned them from away matches.[124] It took six years for the ultras to regain their place in the stadium. Former VA supporters formed the Collectif Ultras Paris (CUP) in May 2016, and the club agreed to their return in October 2016.[124][134][135]
PSG have granted official status to 16 groups at the Parc des Princes since 1975.[28][136][137][138] Based in Auteuil, the CUP are currently the only officially recognized ultra group by the club.[125][138] They share the stadium with fellow authorized groups Hoolicool, Vikings 27 and Handicap PSG in the Paris stand; and Les Amis du PSG, Titi Fosi and PSG Grand Sud in the Borelli stand.[28][136][137] Previously, PSG also recognized Supras Auteuil, Lutece Falco and Tigris Mystic from Auteuil; Boulogne Boys, Gavroches and Rangers from Boulogne; and Authentiks, Puissance Paris and Brigade Paris from Paris.[126][136][137] More recently, unofficial groups Block Parisii and Resistance Parisienne are trying to convince PSG of relaunching the KoB.[126][139][140] Karsud, the club's last remaining organized hooligan firm, are also still active, but have been banned from all club matches since 2017.[126][141][142]
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Rivalries
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Le Classique
Paris Saint-Germain shares an intense rivalry with Olympique de Marseille; matches between the two teams are referred to as Le Classique.[143][144] The clubs are the two most successful clubs in French football, and the only French teams to have won major European trophies.[143] Therefore, the fixture is the biggest rivalry in France.[145][146]
PSG and OM were the dominant teams prior to the emergence of Olympique Lyonnais in the 2000s,[143][147] and are the most followed French teams internationally.[120][121] Both clubs are at or near the top of the French attendance lists each season.[147] Their meetings during the 1970s gave little indication the two would become major adversaries.[148] The newly formed Parisians were trying to assemble a competitive team, while the Olympians were Ligue 1 contenders.[148]
The rivalry began in earnest in 1986 when PSG won their first championship and OM was bought by Bernard Tapie.[148] By the end of the decade, PSG was fighting for the 1988–89 title against Tapie's Marseille.[149][147] The accusations made by PSG president Francis Borelli against Tapie and OM for fixing matches during that season were a contributor to their growing rivalry.[150]
In the 1990s, tensions between the two sides escalated. French TV channel Canal+ bought PSG in 1991 with the aim of breaking Marseille's hegemony but then agreed with Tapie to emphasize the animosity between them as a way to promote the league.[149][147] With equivalent financial backing, PSG and OM became the main contenders in the title race.[151] Both sides were less successful in the late 1990s and the 2000s but the rivalry remained strong.[148][151] Since the 2010s, the matchup has been dominated by PSG, and the significant investment of their Qatari owners has created a wide gap between the clubs.[151]
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Ownership and finances
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Paris Saint-Germain were initially fan-owned and had 20,000 members.[71] The club was run by board members Guy Crescent, Pierre-Étienne Guyot and Henri Patrelle.[71][152] A group of wealthy French businessmen, led by Daniel Hechter and Francis Borelli, would then buy the club in 1973.[153] PSG changed hands in 1991, when Canal+ took over, and then again in 2006 with the arrival of Colony Capital.[154] Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) have been the majority owners of PSG since 2011, holding 87.5% of the shares in 2012.[155] Arctos Partners owns the remaining 12.5%.[156]
Backed by the Qatari government, QSI acquired a majority stake in 2011 and then became the Parisian outfit's sole owner in 2012.[154][155][157] PSG are therefore a state-owned club, which makes them one of the wealthiest teams in the world.[158][159][160] In 2023, Arctos Partners acquired a minority stake in the Qatar-funded French team.[156] QSI chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been PSG president since the takeover.[161] However, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, has the final word on every major decision of the club.[162] He is both the chairman of the QIA and the founder of QSI.[163]
Upon its arrival, QSI pledged to form a team capable of winning the UEFA Champions League.[5] PSG have spent over €1.9bn on player transfers since the summer of 2011.[164] These massive expenditures have translated in PSG's domination of French football but have also caused problems with UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations.[165][161][166]
PSG had the third-highest revenue in the footballing world with annual earnings of €806m according to Deloitte, and were the world's seventh-most valuable football club, worth $4.4bn according to Forbes magazine in January 2025.[167][168] This financial growth has been supported by PSG's Qatari owners;[169] the team's on-pitch success;[165] high-profile signings, including Zlatan Ibrahimović, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi;[164] and lucrative sponsorship deals with the Qatar Tourism Authority, Nike, Air Jordan, Accor and Qatar Airways.[169][170][171]
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Honours
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Players
Current squad
- As of 20 July 2025.[180]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Other players under contract
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Personnel
- As of 25 June 2025.[182]
Management
Technical staff
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References
External links
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